Database Answers Logo Lady Gabriella Windsor, a Model
Modelling Tools
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Here's a short list of some recommended Data Modelling Tools in alphabetical order, and
if you have any specific recommendations or comments, please email me.

There's a short note about about Data Modeling and Database design at the bottom of the page, and here's an even more comprehensive list of CASE Tool Vendors, maintained by David Alex Lamb of Queen's University, Ontario, Canada.

PRODUCT
VENDOR
PRICE
COMMENTS
Argo UML Tigris Free - Open Source For Modelling UML Diagrams - but not for the faint-hearted.
Azzurri Clay Azzuri (Japan) Free !!! From Japan -Open Source Plug-In for Eclipe - Reverse Engineering and generates SQL.
Pro version costs 35,000 Japanese Yen (about $150) !!
Case Studio 2 CharonWare Free Download, then $175(Lite) or $369(Full) Looks impressive - supports an unusally wide range of Databases, including Firebird, MaxDB,Postgres - if you try it, please me have your comments.
Here's a "5-Star" Review from Dan Horn.
CASEWise CASEWise   Aimed at Business Process Modelling, but has links to DataArchitect.
ConceptDraw CS Odessa $179 (50% off) For ERD, UML, ORM, FlowCharts, etc. - Free Download Trial is available. I like the appearance of the diagrams this Product produces and this is an important consideration for me.
DataArchitect Sybase $2,000 If you are buying for the company, buy this one.
DataArchitect is part of Power Designer, which is described below.
DataArchitect TheKompany $39.99 Highly recommended by Andy Brown and an unbeatable price. Comments and experiences please.
Database Design Tool (DDT) Open Source   THANKS VERY MUCH to Josh Bosh, Milwaukee's most beloved Web specialist, for providing this link.
Database Design Studio Chilli Source $39 - $200 Comes in two versions - Lite at $79 ($39 Educational), which supports ERD Modeling and Forward Engineering and Professional at $299, which adds support for Reverse Engineering.
DBDesigner 4 FabForce.net Free
(Donations welcome)
Open Source and highly recommended if you work with MySQL.
DB Diagram Designer PrimeLogics Offers a free evaluation download or $130 to buy. Looks very interesting - modeller plus data editor using ODBC connections. If you try it please let me know your opinion.
Dezign Datanamic Offers a free download or $139 to buy. If you are buying for yourself, buy this one - now offers a free Tutorial.
Dia Gnome Office Free - Open Source Designed to be like Visio
Druid From SourceForge   Generates SQL Scripts and Java classes.
Thanks again to Josh Bosh.
Enterprise Architect Sparx Systems $99 UML Analysis & Design Tool and very affordable.
ER Creator Model Creator About $100 Includes a Tutorial and a Trial version.
ER Diagrammer KeepTool $240 Free download is available and a User Forum is supported.
ER/Studio Embarcadero Trial Version available A comparative Study of Database Design Tools is available (requires registration).
ERWin Computer Associates   One of the Market Leaders
Happy Fish Polderij NV. (in Dutch) $89 A great name and a new Product so please tell us if you have any experience with it.
ImportER MySQL Datanamic Excellent value at $55 Reverse Engineering for MySQL
MagicDraw No Magic   Award-winning UML Modeller and very popular with Java enthusiasts.
OR-Compass Logic Works POA Object-Relational Modelling.
I saw this mentioned in a User Group somewhere, but the only reference I found is in this 1998 article in DBMS magazine.
Logic Works was taken over by Platinum, which was taken over by CA, and the CA Product Listing does not include OR-Compass.
If anyone can give me a URL, I'd be very grateful.
Oracle Designer Oracle $200 Available from the Oracle Technology Network (free to join).
Oracle says "Oracle Designer is our model-driven development tool based on the principles of Information Engineering."
Oracle J-Developer
Thanks to Irwin Coskey for helping me keep this up-to-date.
Oracle $200 UML diagramming is part of J-Developer.
Also available from the Oracle Technology Network.
Oracle says "Oracle JDeveloper is an integrated development environment with end-to-end support for modeling, developing, debugging, optimizing, and deploying Java applications and Web services."
PG Designer From John.   Open Source - for PostgreSQL.
Thanks again to Josh Bosh.
Platinum Repository Computer Associates   This is a Repository, rather than a Modelling Tool, with a 'Where-used' facility, and it lets you add entity types,such as Business Function, Business Role and Script.
Poseidon GentleWare   Comes highly recommended, good for UML, and has an open-source FREE version.
Power Designer Sybase $2,000 If you are buying for the company, buy this one.
The Data Modelling Tool in this composite product is called "DataArchitect".
Unfortunately, the design of the web site has changed recently and information about Data Architect is difficult to find. But the product is excellent, and I have found its powerful Reverse Engineering facilities to be very useful.
ProVision WorkBench Proforma Corporation. Prices on Application !!! "A Repository-based integrated business process and object modeling toolset."
An interesting range of Data Model Exchange facilities.
QDesigner Quest. Pricing difficult to find on the Quest Web Site From the 'Toad Company' - looks good and is well-recommended by at least one satisfied user - a downloadable Trial is available(rather substantial at at 63MB).
Saphir
Silwood Technology
$14,000 is an indicative price Saphir is more than a Modelling Tool. It sits between an ERP like SAP and a Modelling Tool like ERWin.
It provides a very useful and powerful Metadata manipulation package which allows you to extract metadata from ERPs such as SAP, J.D. Edwards and PeopleSoft, which can then be 'reverse engineered' into a Modelling Tool like ERwin, to see the Data Model.
SmartDraw SmartDraw $50 !!! Recommended - Promoted as a UML Drawing Tool with impressive support.
System Architect 2001 Popkin $3,000-5,000 per seat. A well respected Product, with Downloads available for Evaluation.
TogetherSoft Solo Borland Downloadable Supports UML
Toolkit for Conceptual Modeling (TCM) University of Twente, Holland Free and Downloadable Very interesting combination of Tools, including UML.
Thanks to Tony Adams for suggesting a better link here.
Visio Microsoft Trial CD available Many Versions- Standard($199),Technical($399),Professional($399) and Enterprise($999)
Visual Thought CERN (Godfathers of the Internet)   Give it a try for UML.
THANKS AGAIN to Josh Bosh, Milwaukee's most beloved Web specialist, for providing this link.
Win A&D Excel Software No price information on the Web Site Unusually offers products for MAC as well as Windows - UML Modelling as well as ERD.
xCase Resolution Software $800 (Download Trial available) "xCase is a complete database design and maintenance tool including archiving and model compare and merge across different DBMSs".

Lady Gabriella Windsor, a Model
Useful Links :-
CATEGORY ORGANISATION
COMMENTS
Discussion Group InfoAdvisors Data Model Group
Portal Data Management Centre Directory of Data Modelling Resources (Highly Recommended)
Portal DM Review Search for 'Data Models'
Portal Journal of Conceptual Modelling Worth Checking out


A short note about about Data Modelling and Database Design ...
Data modelling and database design are two very different activities.
 
For data modelling, the question you are asking is :
1) What does the world being modelled look like ?  
   In particular, you are looking for similarities between things. 
   Then you identify a 'super-type' of thing which may have sub-types. 
    For example, Corporate Customers and Personal Customers

   If, for example, supplier contacts are conceptually different things from customer contacts, 
  then the answer is that they should be modelled separately.  
  On the other hand, if they are merely sub-sets of the same thing, then treat them as the same thing.

2) For database design, you are answering a different question:-
   how can I efficiently design a database that will support the functions of proposed application or Web Site. 
   The key task here is to identify similarities between entities so that you can integrate them into the
   same table, usually with a 'Type' indicator.
   For example, a Customer table, which combines all attributes of both Corporate and Personal Customers.
   As a result, it is possible to spend a great deal of time breaking things out when creating a Data Model, and 
   then collapsing them back together when designing the corresponding database.
   
Dan Horne writes about Case ...

"I have found Case Studio to be an outstanding tool in its market niche. 
It supports a wide variety of databases, although I've only use it with Oracle, 
where I have found it to be excellent.

It's a bargain at $299, and with additional licenses costing only $89, it is well 
within the budget of most organizations that do not require an enterprise solution. 

I've been searching for a data modelling tool for some time, but most are not within 
my price range, and are generally aimed at larger companies. 

The competitive products I have found are marginally cheaper, but do not support the 
fundamental features I need such as the reverse engineering of existing databases.

The only weakness is the documentation, which is included as a help file.

Some topics such as exporting the diagrams to a graphic file are not covered, and there is 
no detail on writing templates to enhance and extend the system. 

Likewise, Data Flow Diagrams are barely touched on.

Nevertheless, I am very pleased with my purchase. 

Case Studio deserves to be much better known than it is.

Regards

Dan Horne"

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